PMPML to purchase 100 AC buses
News — By The Desk on December 2, 2011 at 3:02 PM
Times of India: The Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited has proposed to procure 100 air-conditioned buses and also appoint a private operator for running the 500 buses which are being procured under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM).
The operation and maintenance of the buses is being done on public-private partnership basis.
The PMPML announced plans to select a private operator who would invest and procure 100 AC buses, in two groups of 50 buses each. These buses would have to be operated and maintained for a period of 10 years. The private operator will have the right to retain the ticket revenues and revenues from advertisement on buses. The AC buses will have to be operated on routes and schedules prescribed by the PMPML.
PMPML joint managing director Satish Kulkarni said that the 100 AC buses being procured are in addition to the 25 AC buses which are being procured by the Pune Municipal Corporation separately.
The revised budget of the PMC for the present year has earmarked Rs 12.5 crore for purchasing 25 AC buses, which will run exclusively for IT professionals and for those reaching the Pune airport.
The buses would have LCD screens, and facility for charging cellphones and laptops. Services from Warje, Kothrud, Katraj, Hinjewadi and other parts to the airport have been proposed and the PMC has initiated the process for procuring the buses. The revenues from sale of tickets and advertisements will be retained by the PMPML.
This is for the second time in the last one year that the PMPML has invited bids for operation and maintenance of the 500 buses which are yet to be procured. Earlier, the PMPML wanted the private operator to pay a premium of Rs 12 lakh per bus and the proposal received poor response. This time, the ‘Rs 12 lakh premium’ condition has been removed. So, the officials are expecting a good response for the bids. The process of submission of tenders by private operators is to be completed by the end of this month.
The PMPML will also appoint private operators who will operate and maintain 500 buses which are being procured under the JNNURM. Kulkarni said that 650 buses had been sanctioned under the JNNURM for Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad, of which 150 diesel buses have already been procured. The remaining ones will be CNG buses.
Over 200 CNG buses have been procured so far, while the rest would be procured by February next year. For operating and maintaining the buses, the private operators will get monthly payments from the PMPML on per km basis.
